Kays Caps Inc

Kay's Caps, Inc. was created in 1948 by a woman named Minna Kay- hence the name. It began as a small business in the Troy, New York, area and grew into a corporation with worldwide recognition as the premier manufacturer of "perma-starch" nurses' caps. Because of the finishing process used, it became possible to produce a cap that required no starch, yet had the appearance and texture of a starched one. Nurses' uniforms at that time included the wearing of caps, and many schools and hospitals turned to Kay's for the manufacture of their traditional styles using the new process. Many institutions wanted their own custom designed caps to be used exclusively by their graduates. Graduation for the nurse culminated with the "pinning and capping ceremony." Eventually, White Crown and Ft. Orange Mfg. Co. - two manufacturing competitors- were absorbed into Kay's Caps. At the present time, there are approximately 3,000 templates of various styles at our factory in Green Island, New York. While it is impossible to maintain an inventory of them all, we are able to manufacture custom caps for schools, hospitals and individuals requesting a specific style. In addition, we have approximately 35 stock styles which are usually available for shipment within two working days after receipt of an order, whereas custom caps may take up to two-three weeks to manufacture. For those graduating classes that want to customize their caps with embroidery and/or velvet bands of school colors, we are able to accommodate their wishes wherever possible. Our latest cap introduction is the white unisex mortar board cap as the number of males entering the nursing profession has increased substantially.